Locked (2025)

Anthony Hopkins punishes a car thief with yodeling music in Locked, and it’s the film’s most inspired idea. The rest is a one-room thriller that runs out of room. Bill Skarsgård plays Eddie Barrish, a jobless ex-con and struggling dad to Sarah, who climbs into an unlocked luxury SUV to loot it and hears the doors click shut behind him. The owner, William, calls on the dashboard screen. He’s a wealthy doctor watching through cameras, and after six break-ins he has turned his car into a rolling cell, with seats that deliver shocks and an air conditioner set to arctic. Skarsgård and Hopkins make a strong pair and class up a silly setup. But it keeps adding tricks without knowing where to take its story. A late-night ride through the city is a real jolt. It holds a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes and made $4.65 million worldwide on a reported $5M. A 4.9 because two great actors are stuck inside a gimmick. $99.66 says you hear yodeling anywhere this month and feel your shoulders tense up.

What works: Skarsgård and Hopkins make a strong pair, and a few twists, like the remote-controlled ride through the city, deliver real jolts.

What doesn’t: It’s a gimmick stretched to feature length, piling on new tricks without ever figuring out where to take its story.

Who it’s for: Thriller fans who like a single-location nightmare and don’t mind some silliness in their suspense.